The Fire
by My Little Big Blue Box
Summary: After Fred's death, who was it that made Ron feel human again?


**The Fire**

The fire in front of him blazed as the reception of his brother's funeral came to a close. He hadn't been inside the house for about 3 hours.

His family and friends had all returned to the Burrow after saying goodbye to his brother and they had been greeted by a ton of food that Mrs Weasley had put together as a distraction to the oncoming sadness she had refused to as yet succumb her. She had insisted she couldn't let the guests go hungry. Fred wouldn't have wanted people to be starved.

Ron however had dashed upstairs, taken his smartest jacket off and replaced it with a blue tracksuit top. Then he ran back down stairs, past everyone to the drinks table, grabbing a butterbeer before exiting the house. He walked a few yards away from the home before taking a seat on the front lawn and enchanting a log fire in front of him.

From the window he could feel people, including his mother, father and friends, predominately Hermione, looking out to see that he was still there.

Ron just stared at the fire in front of him. He wondered about what had happened that day and so many days before, and if it was the right way to do. Was it the way that Fred would have wanted it?

He couldn't help thinking it wasn't the way he would have wanted. But he couldn't change that now.

It had been about 2 weeks since the war had ended and whilst each day had gotten easier when it came to the grief, today had just reignited how he had felt when he had seen his brother's body among the rubble.

He remembered looking at Fred's face. While his mouth was slightly curved with a smile from teasing Percy, his eyes were wide with fear, distress.

Shaking his head he took a sip of his still full drink before realising that the humming of peoples chattering from inside had disappeared and the sky had turned to a sunset red. Had anyone walked past him to leave? He couldn't recall saying 'Goodnight' to anyone.

He raised his wand once more to enhance the burning fire and once again stared into the flames. He watched as he imagined them transforming into a face. The face of Hermione.

God, she had been a rock. She'd been there the entire time for him.

They hadn't really discussed much in the last two weeks but he knew that she was thinking about it as much as he had. The kiss.

He'd never forget it. How could he? It was incredible.

But instead of thinking about herself and her own needs, for the past two weeks, Hermione had been there to hug Ron. To help him up and out of the darkness that he'd been feeling. To make him feel human again.

When he heard a gentle 'hello' though, he thought he was going crazy and the voice was coming from the image in the fire.

'What?' he gasped looking wide-eyed at the flames.

'I said 'hello',' The voice spoke again but this time he heard it properly and looked beside himself, to see Hermione stood before him, looking down at him with a small gentle smile, holding two blankets tightly in her arms.

'Oh, sorry, I was a bit... preoccupied,' He said, almost like he was trying to convince himself never mind her.

'Its alright, I'll allow it,' She smiled again. After a brief gaze, she spoke again, 'Stand up.'

He didn't so without arguing.

'Hold this,' She handed him one of the blankets whilst she fanned the other out onto the grass, before sitting on hit and patting the spot beside her for him to reseat himself. He did and she took the second blanket and spread it across her knees and his, before leaning back, using the heels of her hands for support, 'Thought you might have been getting a bit cold,' She reasoned as he looked at her with one of only few smiles he'd been able to display in the last few days.

'Thanks,' He looked back at the fire, as she did, kindly offering her some of his drink though she declined, 'Yeah, I'm not really in the mood to drink it either.'

They stared and stared and as Ron realised that everything over the past year had ended, he broke down.

Suddenly floods of tears left his eyes and he collapsed as Hermione wrapped her arms around him and his head fell to her shoulder.

'Hey, hey, hey, its okay let it all out,' she mumbled in hushed tones as stroked her hand through his hair and planted a chaste kiss on his forehead.

'I'm sorry; I just don't know what to do...' He cried into her chest and he felt her slowly start to cry too.

'I know, I know. I understand, I really do.' She sniffed before continuing, 'We'll get through this, we all will,'

They both held on tight to one another as the crying continued, before the shaking stopped and the only sound was their heavy breathing. Ron pulled away slightly and looked up at her.

'I'm sorry; I didn't mean to crumble like that.'

'Its okay, but I bet my make up isn't,' she smirked slightly and he quietly chuckled as she raised a hand to her cheek and rubbed away her tears with his thumb.

She subconsciously closed her hands and leant in to his hand, as it cupped her cheek and he said, 'You don't need that make up any way, you're beautiful without it.'

Opening her eyes, she couldn't quite argue his claim, not wanting to interrupt the happiness of the moment, so she just mouthed a 'thank you'.

He mouthed closer as their noses grazed one another, 'May I?'

She nodded and they united in an earth shattering kiss.

It was different to the last. It wasn't rushed and it was chaotic. It was slow, calm and disciplined.

Hermione's had found Ron's on her cheek and she grabbed a hold of it as though her life depending on it as they separated and she whispered 'I love you.'

He once again stifled a laugh, though this time a laugh of achievement, as Hermione lay down on the blanket below them and he followed, their arms wrapped around each other, as his face lay softly on her beating chest. He placed a kiss on her skin, just above where her heart would lie and spoke 'I love you too.'

And it was then, as he looked up to the stars, that he believed her words that it was going to be okay and that they would get through the pain.

Because he knew he'd have her to help him get through it. And for the first time in months, he fell asleep smiling.

**A.N. Not sure whether I like this or not, but I thought I'd release it anyway so please tell me what you think, it's much appreciated :)**

**Jess.**


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